Pastoral Exhortation

Testimonies From Gethsemane Youth Retreat

Thanksgiving to God for the youth retreat 2009 (16th Dec to 18th Dec)

Praise God for this year's youth retreat, 2009. Praise God for the youths who took time to attend the retreat!

Praise God for Uncle Jeremiah who taught us God's Word. Indeed, it is very important to have a godly and persevering Christian fellowship, even amongst our fellow church friends and other believers.

I have learnt that Christian fellowship unites Christians. Amidst this sinful and wicked world, where there are so many temptations, we have to help those who are weak. We need to give one another encouragement in the Lord and pray unceasingly. We must persevere together and be strong in the Lord!

Thank God for the morning devotions, where I am reminded to be holy, for God is holy. In the morning, I can resolve to do something that pleases God and in the night, I will reflect upon whether I have achieved my resolution. I have also learnt to be thankful for everything God has given us. We must never complain or grumble, for everything that God has allowed to happen is all within His purpose and plan.

Thank God also for the bunk devotions where we recollect the lessons we have learnt in the messages.

May God help us to have a godly and persevering Christian fellowship with fellow Christian brethren.

Eunice Choy

Thank God for another blessed Gethsemane Youth Retreat!

I thank God for the camp theme “Having a godly, persevering Christian fellowship” as well as Uncle Jeremiah, our camp speaker. Through the messages, I learnt that only Christians are able to enjoy true fellowship as we are united through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. I also learnt that I must separate myself from the world, and never to be in close association with non-believing friends, for that would be ungodly, leading me to compromise my Christian faith. I thank God for bunk devotions with Jie Jie Ruth, who taught me about quiet time and guided me to reflect on the messages every night.

I am thankful also for being in the organizing committee, to serve God through planning this camp. Truly, I have seen God’s guiding hand every step of the way as we were all rather inexperienced, this being our first time planning the youth retreat. Thank God for helping us when there were unexpected problems we did not foresee, and even for providing perfect weather for our activities, as I recalled how God allowed rain only in between our games and BBQ, so that we would have dry weather during these activities.

Lastly, I really enjoyed spending time with the youths in Gethsemane, as we all got to know each other better. I am also very grateful to the adults who stayed with us, Uncle Jeremiah, Aunty Gina, Uncle Engida and Jie Jie Ruth and Melissa, as they were very forgiving and patient in teaching us things we were unsure of, also being very sporting in the games planned.

Once again, all glory be to God!

Chloe Pawa!

My Testimony of God’s work in the youth retreat

I thank God for the youth retreat where I learnt much about Christian fellowship, and how I can ensure that my friendship with fellow youths in church is a godly one. “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you.”

As Christians, we are all bought with the blood of Christ; there is no difference between my friend and I. We are both sinners, doomed for eternal destruction, I must never have any negative feelings towards another, the Lord forbids and hates any of such feelings in my mind. I always have to remind myself to discard any feeling of discontent I have with others, and be loving to one another. Praying for my fellow youths in the church is a good way for me to exercise what I have learnt. By praying for my friends, my cares are all cast unto God and there is no room for me to show my displeasure because the unconditional love of God surpasses them all! Thank God for Uncle Jeremi who faithfully taught God’s Word!

Apart from the many spiritual lessons drawn, I must glorify the Lord in that the whole retreat was smooth, and successful in many ways. As a member of the youth committee, I saw how the Lord took control of the camp. The committee had missed out some small details, which could have affected the programme of the retreat, but the Lord who was overseeing this whole retreat, took care of our shortcomings. He also answered our prayers for a perfect weather. Thank God for our helpers: Aunty Gina, Melissa, Ruth and Engida who were with us to guide us and help us along. Thank God also for Matthew, who led our committee well.

This retreat has indeed spurred me on to continue my service in the youth committee, and it’s my prayer that the Lord will use me to bless the youth ministry. May the Lord also bless every single youth in Gethsemane to persevere in this Christian fellowship, and to walk aright with Christ.

ALL PRAISE TO MY LORD!

Cornelius Koshy

A Note of Appreciation from Pangasinan, the Philippines

Dear Pastor Koshy,

Warm greetings from Villasis, Pangasinan, Philippines!

The visit of Bro Donald and Bro Dennis Kabingue is indeed a blessing to us! Praise the Lord Jesus for His grace! They have brought almost 40 individuals of various age levels to our Sunday School and Worship Service. I have requested Bro Dennis to preach during the Worship Service: he preached on the characteristics of a true church of Christ. After the worship service, we have fellowship to welcome people from San Fabian, Pangasinan. Sis Cecille Batrina and her sisters and brother are with us also. She is indeed a great blessing to the people of Binday, San Fabian, Pangasinan. May the Lord Jesus use her more to reach greater number of people for the Lord. With this initial observation, I think it is the Lord's will that in His time, someone, a man of God, must stay with San Fabian people to feed them with the pure Word of God and to reach more sinners for Christ. I don't know when or how but I think it must be done. Thanks a lot also for the love gifts you and the brethren from Gethsemane Bible-Presbyterian Church have given to us. It's a blessing to us.

Maraming Salamat po sa inyong Lahat! (Many thanks to all of you!)

In behalf of the brethren of Cornerstone Baptist Mission, Villasis

Pastor Louie D Hitosis

"… Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." Matthew 25:40